Wasted Potential

( Training grounds.)

' Ahhhh, I'm bored.'

' I've grown so accustomed to being on missions all the time that now u have some free time I don't know what to do with myself.' Thinks Daiki as he sits beside a lake watching his three students walk on the water's surface rather shakily.

" Do it again." He says looking at the clone standing at the bank of the lake.

The clone quickly formed a seal.

"Earth-style-mobile earth jutsu." The clone shouted and slammed his hand on the ground.

The previously calm lake quickly became very rough, making it harder for the kids to keep standing, and sure enough after about a minute, the three dropped into the lake one after the other.

Seeing this the clone stopped his jutsu and released itself.

The lake returned to calm and Daiki students quickly surfaced and swam to shore.

" Alright, you guys are making progress, stage one should be done much faster than I expected it to be."

As Daiki spoke none of the kids even looked at him as they lay down trying to catch their breath.

And Daiki left them alone and smiled, truthfully he had already formed his opinions on these kids and what they could become under his care.

' I have to admit, these three may have been the biggest case of wasted talent in the original show, Shikamaru has talent but is too lazy, Choji has talent but isn't motivated by anything other than food, and then there is my soon to be fiancee, she has talent but is held back by her mindset and current spoiled behaviors.' Thinks Daiki.

'The Nara and Akimichi clan's jutsu have so much more potential than is currently being used, under my care they will become monsters.'

' In the past four days, they have made a great amount of progress, and I have found how to get through to them, to get them to take this training seriously.'

' Shikamaru is the smartest and he was also the easiest to deal with, all I did was get him to understand what he would lose and how much he would regret it if he didn't train, it would seem behind the lazy attitude hides someone willing to protect those important to him even if it means less relaxation time.'

'Choji was also easy, even though I couldn't get him to fully understand how dangerous it was in the ninja world without him experiencing it himself first, he was easily motivated by food and would always listen to Shikamaru, so some promises of lots of food after every day and a word from Shikamaru and he was more than enough motivated, and later when he finally sees how dangerous being a ninja is when I take them on a mission, I expect him to gain even more motivation.'

' Now Ino, she was the hardest one out of the three, Inoichi had spoiled the girl rotten from the day she was born, she was entitled and obsessed with Sasuke, and she didn't take being a ninja of the village seriously at all, and his words didn't work, and seeing as the girl hardly ate motivating her with food was out of the question.'

She had gone through the first day of training complaining, and Daiki knew it couldn't keep going on like this but he already had a solution.

For all her current problems, Ino had a big heart and cared for the people around her, most of her problems stem from the fact she grew up in peace and has yet to experience any kind of loss.

( Flashback night of the first day of training)

In the home of Ino, Inoichi and Daiki could be seen talking to each other.

" Are you sure about this?"

"It's fine, it won't leave any lasting effects, I'm just cleaning up a mess you made, the genjutsu I'm going to use on her is not that strong, but to her, it will feel all too real, I won't go too far just maybe you getting killed by an enemy ninja invading the village and she sees it all but is too weak to do anything."

" Fine... but..."

" I know, nothing will happen at most she will be a little frightened when she wakes up, I'll do it now, after it is done the genjutsu will disappear on its own." Says Daiki as he forms a sign.

( Present)

' it wasn't the best way to do it, but the results speak for themselves, She's still spoiled and acts like a princess and has an attitude but, she has motivation she didn't have before, it would seem the genjutsu worked well.' Thinks Daiki looking at the still down Ino.

' As their sensei, it my job to make the best versions of them possible even if they are not interested in training it should be my job to make them.'

' My brother really dropped the ball with them in the show.'

Daiki comes from his thoughts and speaks.

" Alright, you three should be able to finish this in a day more the most, after that you have a day of rest then we head out on a mission, so be prepared."

Hearing this the three looked surprised and apprehensive.

" Daiki-sensei are we ready? I mean you said you would carry us on a C- rank mission for our first mission." Shikamaru says.

" Don't worry, I'll be there this will be a good experience for you three training without any actual combat isn't that good, in the future we will create a routine of training and then doing a mission to test the results until I think you three can stand on your own." Says Daiki.

"My expectations for you three are high, and you are going to have to grow up very fast, faster than the other genin your age, after all as the disciples of the soon-to-be fifth Hokage you guys can't be weak, and soon the village will host a chunin exam, with the hidden sand you three will need to stand out above everyone else."

"How come the hidden sand village is coming here, aren't all the villages enemies?" asked Choji.

"Yes and no, the relationship between the leaf and sand is not as tense as the other villages, but I guess in addition to building relations between the villages this chunin exam is also a show of power, and might it should be a good time for you to become Hokage and make a big statement. Am I right sensei?" Shikamaru asked.

"Indeed, but things never go as smoothly as one would like, we must keep our guard up even more when the hidden sand is here." says Daiki.

"Do you think something going to happen sensei?" Ino asked.

"You never know, after all in this shinobi world you never truly know a person's intention."